Getting to Know God in the Gaps

Last week, I wrote about the story from John of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well. But there’s another point to that story that is probably often overlooked. When I went back to John 4 and read it again, I noticed something I had been missing before.

-Just on a side note, reading a Scripture passage just once isn't enough. Read it two times. Then read it again. Look up Bible commentaries. Read different translations. Read the surrounding context. Look up the original Hebrew or Aramaic words. Dive into the Word, and study it, and you will get so much more from it.-

Now back to the story... as I read John 4 again, a different verse stood out to me this time:

“Jesus answered her, "IF YOU KNEW the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and He would have given you living water."”

(John 4:10)

IF YOU KNEW.

Those are the three simple words that stood out to me.

Maybe we don't seek Christ to satisfy our hearts because we don't really know Him.

Maybe we are going to the world to fulfill those empty holes in our lives because that's the easy way... That's what we're familiar with. That's what we know.

Maybe we're empty because we don't really know who God is.

We're dissatisfied because we don't know what it is we need... Or who we need.

It's not the easy way. But remember if it was easy, it probably wouldn't be worth as much.

However, one of the simplest ways we can really get to know who God is, is by doing what I already mentioned above: diving into Scripture. You have to put work into it. You have to give effort. It will be difficult sometimes; but in the end the work makes it much more rewarding.

Here's the sad truth, we always question everyone's intentions. There's always a place in our minds where we wonder what gain we will get from everything we do. So if we're curious about the benefits we get from the world, shouldn't we be just as curious about the gift God has put on the table for us?

Trust me, I realize we will probably never fully understand God and the gift He is giving to us until the day we meet Him. But I think there is something we can begin to understand... And that is God's intentions. He wants to give us eternal life. He wants us to live free from our sins. He wants us to abide in His love. He wants us to be satisfied walking in His grace. He wants to build a relationship with us, His children. (Ephesians 2:8-10) (2 Corinthians 9:8) (James 1:17) (Acts 17:27)

So get to know who God is and the Living Water He is offering you, and watch the gaps in your life begin to be filled.

As I prepare for knee surgery #3 tomorrow (all from the same injury that happened a little over a year ago), this is something I will be focusing on. One of the most difficult things about having to sit out of volleyball and physical activity last season was that suddenly there was a huge gap in my life… something that had been a part of my life almost every single day for so many years now, was quickly taken away and left me feeling dissatisfied and wondering who I was without it.

But now I know. Volleyball will never fill the gaps in my life the way Christ can. So this time around, whether I have to sit out of volleyball for four weeks or eight, I’m not going to allow myself to feel dissatisfied. Sure, I know I will have my moments. But instead of letting the dissatisfaction in my life build, I’m going to focus on getting to know more about who God is.

I wonder if we get to know God the best, when we empty our lives of what the world gives us... 

So get to know the guy who willingly went to the cross so you could live; and maybe it will make all the difference when you're walking in the gaps.